Transcription Software and Add-ons

WinBMD

WinBMD has been written by Ian Brooke and offers a number of facilities to aid the transcribing of FreeBMD records on Windows machines, including

automatic repetition of surname from previous line
picklists that offer most common matches as you type
district picklist that can be customised to current batch
many options to suite different styles of record
automatic construction of correct filename
integrated scan display that moves with the transcription
integrated file upload to FreeBMD.

WinBMD is available from the WinBMD download page.

Problems should be reported to .

BMDVerify

This program helps with the process of verifying completed WinBMD entries against the orginal scan. This Windows program is written by David Lang and is available (including previous versions) from here.

Transcription software for Windows, Mac and Linux users. The name FreeComETT reflects its design as a Community Entry Transcription Tool. No software installation is required. It is an online transcribing tool which uses the web browser already installed on your computer. This version was developed by Hilary Wright with help from FreeBMD transcribers. FreeComETT may be accessed from https://freecomett.freeukgen.org.uk/.

It connects directly to images on the FreeBMD file servers and offers a number of facilities to aid the transcribing and verifying (checking) of FreeBMD records, including

No requirement to install software on your computer, so it can be used on public or private computers with internet access running a variety of browsers
Picklists of surnames and forenames that offer the most common matches as you type
Optional automatic repetition of surname from the previous line
Straightforward repetition of first forename and content of any other column from the previous line
District picklist to which additional spelling variations may be added as they occur, linked to the districts used by GRO
Scaling of the image and transcribing space to match different types of record
Automatic linking to the correct image, construction of the correct filename and file structure
Integrated image display that moves with the transcription
Integrated Verifying (accuracy-checking) with image display that moves with the transcription and permits corrections to be made
Integrated facility to email your co-ordinator and facility to send a copy of your transcription to your co-ordinator
Integrated upload of completed and verified files to FreeBMD
Integrated access to instructions/help and district information
The ability to leave off at any stage in transcribing or verifying and come back to the same point whenever convenient to you
Facility for co-ordinators to preset image and transcribing space for particular batches of scan images
Built-in avoidance of multiple transcribers working on the same scan image

FreeComETT Help

Once you are logged in to FreeComETT with FreeBMD submitter ID and password, the ‘Help’ link gives access to instructions/help and district information.

MacBMD-X

MacBMD-X is a program for Mac users that aids transcribing FreeBMD records and was developed by a team headed by Peter Adams. FreeBMD are very grateful for their contribution.

Please see the user manual for information on installation and use of MacBMD-X (the user manual requires a method to display PDF, e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader). Some Syndicate Coordinators may have a specific manual for their syndicate or special instructions for certain aspects of transcribing.

The latest version of MacBMD-X (1.0.9) can be downloaded from here. There are currently no plans to support future development.

Transcribing records for years 1984 onwards can be problematic as transcriptions are for a whole year rather than split into quarters, also the number of fields for each record have increased compared to 1983 and earlier years. Even after 1984 there were further increases in the number of fields for each entry.. Volunteers proposing to transcribe post 1983 years using MacBMD should seek the guidance of their Syndicate Coordinator.

As an alternative Mac users could try FreeComETT our online transcribing tool which can be used from any device with internet access.

Any problems with this version should be reported to

IrfanView Image Viewer for Windows

A very easy to use and useful image viewer is available free from any one of these sites. If one is not available or slow to access at least one of the others should be available.

SpeedBMD

SpeedBMD is no longer used for transcribing and is included here for historical purposes as many thousands of files were transcribed using this program in the early days of FreeBMD and still exist in the FreeBMD database.

SpeedBMD ran under Microsoft DOS and was designed to help FreeBMD transcribers increase their transcription rate and improve their accuracy. SpeedBMD was replaced by WinBMD as the preferred transcribing software under Windows.

SpeedBMD was developed by by a team headed by Peter Cox. FreeBMD are very grateful for their contribution.

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